Baldwin the Eagle, an

anthropomorphized Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

, is the

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as ...

of the

Boston College Eagles The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivisi ...

. The nickname "Eagles" goes back to 1920 when Rev. Edward McLaughlin, unhappy at seeing a newspaper cartoon which represented Boston College as a cat after a track victory, wrote to the college newspaper ''The Heights'':

Costumed mascot

By the time Margo (BC's live eagle mascot) died in 1966, eagles had become

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

and the university then opted to go to a costumed mascot. In 2000, with the unveiling of the current athletics logos, the Boston College Eagle mascot received a visual makeover as well and has appeared that way since. Also, the mascot officially got the name "Baldwin"—a combination of the words "Bald" (as in bald eagle) and "win." There is also a 9.5 foot inflatable mascot named "Baldwin, Jr." which appears at games. Like many modern costumed mascots, Baldwin wears replica team uniforms at events. Baldwin the Eagle is brought to life by an anonymous team of Boston College students that are chosen by audition. Previous Baldwins, now retired, include Tommy Mazza, David Sullivan, Jonathan Shen, Andre Glasscock, Ben Yoch.

Live birds-of-prey

The "Eagles"

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

stuck. Soon a pair of

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird ...

s from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

and

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

were given to the college as gifts. However, one escaped and the other broke its beak trying. For the next four years, the official "mascot" was a stuffed

located in the athletic offices. In 1961, another attempt was made at a live mascot when the college adopted a 10-month-old golden eagle named "Margo" (so named because the team colors are ''mar''oon and ''go''ld). Margo lived at the

Franklin Park Zoo The Franklin Park Zoo is a zoo located in Boston, Massachusetts. It is currently operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts. The zoo is located in the northeast portion of Franklin Park, Boston's ...

and was brought to all home games for several years until dying of a virus early in the 1966 season. In 2013, new athletic director Brad Bates brought back the live eagle tradition, bringing in an eagle during half time of football games. After a fan contest to decide what to call the Eagle, it was named "Welles" after Welles Crowther, the hero who died helping others during the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

; a BC alum. Welles made sparing appearances in 2013 and 2014, sometimes not being able to attend the games due to inclement weather, late start times, etc.

Gilded statue

Another notable incarnation of the Boston College Eagle is a gilded bronze eagle sculpture that diplomat

Larz Anderson Larz Anderson (August 15, 1866 – April 13, 1937) was an American diplomat and ''bon vivant''. He served as second secretary at the United States Legation to the Court of St James's, London; as first secretary and later ''chargé d'affaires ...

and Isabel Weld Perkins, his socialite heiress wife, brought back from

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

in the early 20th century. The eagle remained in

Larz Anderson Park Larz Anderson Park is a wooded, landscaped, and waterscaped parkland in Brookline, Massachusetts that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The southwest corner of the park is in Boston. The park contains playing fields, picn ...

until 1954 when it was donated to

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...

and became synonymous with the BC Eagle. It now looks over Linden Lane.Donovan, Charles F. "History of Boston College: From the Beginnings to 1990"; University Press of Boston College, September 1990, p.266

References

{{ACC Mascots __NOTOC__ Boston College Eagles Atlantic Coast Conference mascots Fictional birds of prey

Costumed mascot

Live birds-of-prey

Gilded statue

See also

References